Papaver plant named ‘Little Candyfloss’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Papaver  plant named ‘Little Candyfloss’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; and single flowers with dark pink-colored petals.

Botanical designation: Papaver orientale.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Little Candyfloss’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Papaver plant, botanically known as Papaver orientale, commercially referred to as Oriental Poppy, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Little Candyfloss.

The new Papaver is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new Papaver cultivars with compact plant habit and numerous flowers.

The new Papaver originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1999 of two unnamed selections of Papaver orientale, not patented. The new Papaver was discovered and selected as a single plant by the Inventor in 2000 in a controlled environment in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands, from the resultant progeny of the stated cross-pollination.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings at Rijpwetering, The Netherlands since 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Papaver are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Little Candyfloss have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Little Candyfloss’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Little Candyfloss’ as a new and distinct Papaver cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Single flowers with dark pink-colored petals.

Plants of the cultivar Little Candyfloss differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in plant height as plants of the new Papaver are more compact than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Papaver can also be compared to plants of the Papaver cultivar Elizabeth, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands, plants of the new Papaver differed from plants of the cultivar Elizabeth in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Papaver were more compact than plants of         the cultivar Elizabeth.     -   2. Plants of the new Papaver had smaller flowers than plants of         the cultivar Elizabeth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Papaver.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical plants grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph in the center of the sheet is a close up view of a typical flower of ‘Little Candyfloss’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical leaf of ‘Little Candyfloss’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the abovementioned photographs and following observations and measurements were grown in an outdoor nursery in Lisserbroek, The Netherlands, and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring. The photographs, measurements and observations were taken in May when the plants were about two years old. During this time, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 12° C.

-   Botanical classification: Papaver orientale cultivar Little     Candyfloss. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Papaver             orientale, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Papaver             orientale, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to develop roots.—About 90 days at 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fleshy, thick; light brown in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Herbaceous perennial flowering plant; mostly upright;             narrow inverted triangle. Basally branching, rosette;             flowering stems arise from the base. Moderately vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 36.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 51 cm.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Shape:             Lanceolate, pinnately and deeply dissected. Length: About             21.1 cm. Width: About 6.8 cm. Leaf segment shape:             Lanceolate; mid-section and base, pinnatisect; apex,             pinnatifid. Leaf segment apex: Acute. Leaf segment base:             Cuneate. Leaf segment margin: Serrate; occasionally             biserrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent;             rough. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage,             upper surface: 143B. Developing foliage, lower surface: 143B             to 143C. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Between 137A             and 143A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C.             Venation, upper surface: 138B. Venation, lower surface:             143A. Petioles: Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Color: 143A, towards the base, 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single rotate flowers; flowers             terminal and face mostly upright. Flowers not persistent.             One flower per flowering stem, about eight flowers per             plant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             mid-May to mid-June in The Netherlands.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About three days.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 7.5 cm. Depth (height): About             3.3 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.1 cm.             Shape: Narrowly oblong. Texture: Pubescent; rough. Color:             137A.         -   Petals.—Arrangement/appearance. Rotate; about six petals             forming a cup-shaped corolla. Length: About 5.2 cm. Width:             About 6.2 cm. Shape: Broadly obovate to broadly deltoid.             Apex: Obtuse; ruffled. Margin: Entire; ruffled. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: 49A; towards the             base, 53D; basal spots, 202A. When opening and fully opened,             lower surface: 49A; towards the base, 48A to 48B.         -   Sepals.—None observed.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per flower: Three. Length: About             2.6 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm. Shape: Pinnatisect; apex,             acute; margins, serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper surface: 143A. Color, lower surface:             138A.         -   Flowering stems (peduncles).—Length: About 33.2 cm.             Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length: About 8.5 cm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect. Texture: Pubescent; rough.             Color: 144A; towards the apex, 143B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Numerous,             typically about 300. Stamen length: About 1.6 cm. Anther             shape: Narrowly oblong; basifixed. Anther length: About             3 mm. Anther color: 200A. Filament length: About 1.4 cm.             Filament color: N187A to N187B; towards the base, N187D.             Pollen amount: Moderate to scarce. Pollen color: N186A to             202A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: About twelve. Pistil             length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Narrowly oblong, flat.             Stigma color: N183C to N183D. Ovary color: 143B.         -   Fruits.—Quantity per flower: One. Type: Capsule. Length:             About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm. Color: 136A to 137A.         -   Seeds.—Quantity per fruit: About 400. Length: About 1 mm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Color: Closest to 202A to 202B. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Papaver have been noted     to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Papaver. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Papaver have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from −20° C. to 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Papaver plant named ‘Little Candyfloss’, as illustrated and described. 